YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett

Tecnical Difficulties

2009-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

I really hope I can have my computer fixed soon. Given that internet clubs/cafes are thin on the ground in the Yakima Gulag, expensive and rare, that leaves coffee houses with WiFi as my easiest option. I need to have t he data pulled and then Windows needs to be re-installed. That is supposed to buy me some time.

Medjuvrijeme, I went to the public library downtown. Summitview is on a bus run that is hourly, it's Hellish hot here so I don't like waiting for the bus that long. You don't wait for a computer once you are there USUALLY, last time I did have to wait.

Downtown there's always a wait, but it's only half an hour between busses that would get me back. I am basically still on 3 bus lines.

Anyway, I don't know if it was their computer or Flikr that was at fault, but I sat there WAITING an HOUR for my stuff to upload, and it didn't upload, I had to leave before I even knew that it totally hadn't uploaded. I can't upload here at Raymond Hall. The college has some kind of rules enforced by modifications that prohibit me from doing it.

I also have to stand to use the computer which isn't good for me. 1. If anything goes razjebao, then I get too hot. I then get dizzy, and there isn't always someone I can ask for help. They ARE really good at extending time if it's really needed. But I can't upload here.

I almost didn't need to have a computer in Sarajevo, here I do, and for the time being I don't.

A lot of what I want to upload are the best fireworks pictures I've EVER taken. Plus t here's still stuff on my computer from Lopez Island.

That brings me to another annoyance, the social networking sites.... I just sort of got used to one social networking site... and then for varying reasons I have been forced (by family members who are loved, but....shall remain nameless....) to migrate to another site, just when I learned to use the first one....

That kind of thing annoys me. Next I suppose they'll want me to Twitter! jebiga bilo kako...

,,, ,,,stumps grumpily off into the hot noon sun.

and a few more...

2009-07-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

Fourth of July Yakima Gulag

2009-07-15T13:29:00.001-07:00

Srebenica Massacre 14 years on...

2009-07-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

My belief is that if there had been no massacre at Srebenica, there probably would not have been an attack on the U.S. on Sept 11th 2001.

The massacre at Srebenica was a disgrace to the Western world because had there been a more timely intervention in the Bosnian war by outside forces maybe it would not have happened. lives on all sides would have been saved. I think of all the people who died such cruel deaths and their families pretty regularly. I did before I ever went to Bosnia or knew part of my family was of Bosnian origins. I felt strongly enough that it was the first intervention by my country in my lifetime that I SUPPORTED whole heartedly. Incidentally thank you from the bottom of my heart to any service members who served in Bosnia and tried to help!

Folklife festival was kind of

2009-07-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Not as good as usual, Dave and the Dalmatians, were excellent, I love that they don't repeat songs too much in a different set. Tracy Spring and members of the Spring/Snow family performed well, as did Ockhams Razor (sic)

What rreally irks me is that they are allowing more very comercial vendors like Scentsy, which is an MLM deal. I do think a line should be drawn on MLM type vendors! If they are at the Fair FINE! NOT FOLKLIFE!

I went to both Dave and the Dalmatians sets, at Burmaster's Bakery, which is really over-priced on food and drink, especially now for me, and which had few edible for me low cost items on the menu. To their credit, they didn't hassle me once I had eatten the over-priced little pizza and the bottle of Kalibur.

The festival won't be in Franklin Park next year, it's probably going to be at Ahtanum Youth Park, in Union Gap, or it will be in Dwontown Yakima.

I could live without the over-priced downtown venues, I will miss out on the festival entirely if it's at Ahtanum Youth Park. If they want t6o be so far flung, they should consider a festival where you could stay overnight Friday, and Saturday which would perhaps permit alchol to those who want it.

Or perhaps another nice all ages venue, with no alchol, they should talk to YVCC! That would be wonderful for all concerned I think!

Sarajevo ili Yakima Gulag?

2009-07-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Alright, tell me if you think these pix are in Yakima or Sarajevo?

tell me why for each one too! :)

Computers again....

2009-07-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have been having a computer problem which co:incided with my move. The computer is just old and needs the attention of someone who is better equiped. So it goes...

Anyway I am doing stuff at the library and how these machines work is not my greatest pleasure. 1. I really hate the privacy screens, it makes them harder to read, and 2. I can be stuck waiting my turn if I go downtown, or risk being stuck WAY up town if I go to the Summitview Library. I really miss the cheap and plentiful internet cafes and clubs in Sarajevo! I mean damn near every corner has one or two! I miss Club BIT, I miss Easynet and Click big-time! All were cheap, staffed with helpful people and good machines. All had decent air conditioning too.

God I miss them all!

Re-joining the unwired world...

2009-07-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

My hard drive isn't working on my lap-top, I have to wait to be in touch with my son-in-law to fix it. Meanwhile I only can be on in libraries. Hence my anger at the cost of the ONE internet cafe in the Yakima Gulag that I know if...

So if you see less of me than you'd like sorry....

the ONE actual Internet Cafe in the Yakima Gulag...

2009-07-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Costs FIVE DOLLARS an HOUR! Those PIRATES, and you can't even have coffee or a drink like in BiH or Croatia!
I sometimes have stuff to do on a computer that needs that attention. The price is Very bad compared to the U.K. the Republic of Ireland, or BiH or Croatia as well. I NEVER paid more than 3KM an hour in Sarajevo and it was cheaper than that in Dubrovnik plus I could order a nice glass of maraskino! jebiga!

Passages:

2009-07-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson's death I am sure is really felt in the Balkans. Incidentally the white funeral carriage is like right out of 'Tko tamo peva'! I watched stuff about him to all hours last night.

A friend of mine is really devastated. I got her a nice book with loads of really cool Michael Jackson pix. She'll love it I'm sure!

My favorite Cetnik died as well, Karl Malden, he was at an age where it's kind of normal, but even if I thought his politics reeked, I LOVED him as an actor!

Karl Malden paid for the funeral of Drazen Mihailovic. Whatever I think of his beliefs, he wasn't cheap about it!

Well I have moved....

2009-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons
1 I wanted the particular place I moved to, it's bigger for the same price...
2. Quiet!
3. I don't need to worry what's going on in the alley!
4. No car alarm, none of my current house mates drive!
(that could be a downside but then my other house mates seldom drove for me, I didn't ask for it. I did my best to not need rides at all, or to get them from Other People. Car-less roomies always bummin' a ride, NOT A PLAN! EVER!)
5. The former house mates want to move to the country. I have nothing against the country, but I have flunked Living in the Country in the U.S. really really BADLY since I don't drive.
6. Even though the place is a bit better set up than my daughter's place, I mean has I door I could close. this one has a door I can LOCK if I'm in there.
7. Cable T.V. comes with the rent! I used to have to beg and plead to watch what I wanted to watch. Differing T.V. tastes can really become a problem. I used to just retreat to my room and listen to N.P.R. and the George Noory show, but sometimes I just want some T.V.! :)
8. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but kids in the morning if you are turning into a grouchy old lady are another story. I don't like ANYONE'S kids at t hat hour:)
9. More space for my food items.
10. Fewer dishes to wash! :) I only really have to do my OWN dishes.

Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss many sides of life with my former house-mates, they are all cool people, especially the cat! :)
And even if I don't like kids early in the morning, I do like them in general. They are sweet kids. I am going to miss the occasional midnight run to Wal*Mart or Safeway for ice-cream. Still this new place is quieter, and roomier and the same price, so I am happy. I hope my former housemates can now find the country place they have been wanting!

Highland Cattle on Lopez Island

2009-06-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

oh there was the guy wearing a Utilikilt in Red Apple who was hitting on my sister, my daughter and I too. Was he perhaps the owner of these fine beasts?

Linx Dump

2009-06-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/06/26/croats-showcase-traditions-their-national-day-celebrations.html

Agim Ceku is in trouble again...

http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n185442

a former Milosevic ally's house was temporarily confiscated

http://www.silive.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/base/international-6/124594279668530.xml&storylist=international

and BiH faces a huge general strike

http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/20507/

and here is a really odd story! Apparently someone thought Albania would be a great place to put Israel! How NationStates can you get?

No seriously!?

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1095526.html

and anyone who hasn't checked out 'Americans For Bosnia' lately or Daniel's blog, 'Srebenica Genocide' needs to do so A.S.A.P.

So the end of the vacation...

2009-06-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

My son, Ivan The Terrible, and his girlfriend Kat will have set off by now. Turns out the camera needs new batteries but will work once it has them. the new sort of memory card is something my computer doesn't like but the work-around isn't Hellishly expensive, it's a trip to Wal*Mart. Well I don't feel so much guilt about Wal*Mart since they came out for some form of National Health Ibsyrabce,

My son's presence did include a pilgrimage to Costco, where I was treated to a Hebrew National hot dog. Those are sooooo good! :)

We didn't hang as much as I would have liked, but that's o.k. because at least we had our trip to the island! Not many people in the U.S. in my humble circumstances get to go to ANY islands without first living on one!

The awesome driftwood house I enjoyed so much and that my grandbabies enjoyed so much was burned by the next batch of campers in that site! :( grrrrr! I realize $5 is a bit for a load of firewood but the rules say don't burn the driftwood houses!

We didn't! And we were probably a lot broker!

I loved the beach, haven't spent a lot of time on a beach in a long while,( not since the last long trip to Croatia actually and maybe twice we actually went to the Very Near By Beach)

Today I made a mess of cevapcici. My daughter must be scared of trying new things. She did all she could to block the production of cevapi at her house. Maybe she was afraid they'd be too exotic or something! This was probably my best batch ever. I had some for lunch and put the rest of the cooked cevapcici in the freezer for days when I need a quick lunch. My son got me some seaweed at Uwajamaya's in Seattle. That place is very cool. I personally have never been there, but it's very cool, they have stuff you should try there. He brought some sort of Korean yogurt flavored soda. It tasted like one of our special things in the Gulag. You take some egg-nog like a quarter cup and put it at the bottom of a tumbler, then you fill it up with 7-Up. That is what it sort of tasted like. It was one of Ivan The Terrible's Double Dare Dog Dare You Treats. His girlfriend who is very Mid-West in her food and beverage tastes liked it. I liked it, and I sure appreciated the seaweed and the microwava macaroni. I used to use it pretty regularly when I was in school here. Practically counts as 'field rations'! :)

No my son only met one of my house-mates. That was just in passing. it was P.

S. was out at the time. I didn't see she was home and on the steps when I did get in, and she was already in her jammies anyway. Most people don't like to meet new people while wearing their jammies! I sure don't! Anyway my kids were in a hurry, my daughter works from 5 am or so, and she had to take my son and his girlfriend to catch a bus.

It was good, they hope to stay longer next time.

Iran situation...as far as I can understand it anyway

2009-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

I do suspect that the people in Iran had their election stolen. The people suspect as much and are NOT having any. Iran is a real country, and they have quite predictibly taken to the streets, and people are dying, this also happens when people who have stolen an election resist the natural actions of the people.

Theocracy doesn't actually work as a form of government. Theocracies in the world are few and far between and any stability they do display is generally the result of outside military and financial assistance. I leave it to my readers to know what other countries are theocracies. They aren't all one religion either...

FTC and Blogger supervision

2009-06-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

For the record, my blog has ads for which I have YET to see a PENNY! I don't know how to take them off. I feel ripped off that I even tried that option. It was ment to keep me in kafa and cevapi funds and maybe bus fare but NOOOOO!

Anything I recommend here I recommend from personal experience and a sincere desire to benefit businesses in the Yakima Gulag. The places I mention are places I eat, shop or go to have fun and have managed to do so at reasonable cost, or they employ(ed) one of my kids. That generally makes me loyal!

Most of this blog is semi-political too, but I don't get money from that. It's ironic since I sort of hoped this blog might turn into a nice sideline to LEGITIMATELY make some money while having fun.

I realize the re are people who make money through blogs all kinds of ways. They can start investigating the SPAMMERS as far as I'm concerned! Someone is making money there!

Sorry to do the copy and paste bit again...but

2009-06-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

http://calendar.walkerart.org/event.wac?id=4916

but there is stuff about 'Snijeg' which is one movie I really want to see. I saw the director all over the place at last year's Sarajevo Film Festival. She is a really neat person. I know it must be a great film. I really want to see it.

I want to congradulate Art Bell on his birthday! Also on the fact his wife got her Zelen Karta at long long last! They do have a child together.

So maybe he can go back to Pahrump Nevada and his cats now!

Not Balkans related, but interesting to me since my sister and I were once stalked by a cougar in L.A. and our mother ran the cat off.

an interesting case:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0618/p06s27-woeu.html

Not sure why most news from Albania is by way of mainland Chinese sources, the Auld Alliance mozda?

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/19/content_11564418.htm

and the Croatia/Slovenia border dispute is hotting up again. j*****

http://euobserver.com/9/28328

and some mostly about damn time type news!

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5f68e2c0-5c21-11de-aea3-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=6bfe44ba-5b10-11de-be3f-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

bankrotstvo news:

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/914263/nick-hood-bankruptcy-doesnt-pay-dubrovnik/

BiH isn't going to cut veteran's benefits. Considering how low they are this is a good thing, but BiH has such financial burdens as a country still after the war.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BOSNIA_PROTESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-06-18-11-17-03

New Muslim member of BiH Presidency:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/273845,mustafa-mujezinovic-new-premier-of-federation-of-bosnia-herzegovina.html

http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/20348/

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3439535127

One could be pardoned for...

2009-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

thinking that this vacation took place in Dalmacija, because the San Juan Islands look a LOT like the islands off Croatia. In fact, Anacortes one of the small towns, where you catch the ferry is a sister city to Vela Luka in Croatia and a lot of diaspora have lived in the region for a bit over 100 years. That is a whole nother posting!

The park service reservation LOOKED like it was for San Juan island, so the crew of us, my daughter, my son, her husband, and her two kids went on the Anacortes ferry to San Juan Island, where they told us, LAUGHING about it that we really were on LOPEZ Island, not SAN JUAN Island! So we sweated the absolute last ferry out. Mercifully the name of our party WAS on the signs but it was too late to actually check in. My son-in-law and daughter and son pitched tents while my son's girlfriend and I tried to keep the kids from doing too much damage. My son took them to the beach until high tide came in. Then his girlfriend and I helped fill air mattresses. It was late, we had very little food. Normally this level of razfukana-ness would NEVER happen on any camping trip with my daughter and son-in-law. The next day after a good sleep, we made a store run and got some food. Then much later my sister came, again on the last ferry but at least she knew which island! :)

My son-in-law gave us all crabs, NO NOT THAT KINDA CRABS! He is very good at finding crabs in their hiding places and there were lots of cute baby crabs, and he caught them for us all to hold and release. They were really cute, and we would hold them awhile, admire them and let them go. One had just lost it's shell to grow a new one. It was easy to see it's eyes looking at us. My grand daughter found a jelly fish. She injured the poor thing. She didn't mean to. Jelly fish are just very fragile. It was lovely. There were starfish. We all took some nice pictures. We had some nice weenie roasts and marshmallow roasts. I hadn't been camping since I was a little kid. Let me tell you changing in a bell tent is really hard if it is small! They called my tent 'the mother-in-law house' I took my C.D. player and listened to Kultur Shock and Dino Merlin quietly at night, while reading by the light of two flashlights, one wind up and one batter operated. I could have stayed longer.
The site I shared with my son and his very sweet girlfriend was right on the beach. In fact I went to the beach in my p.j.s the last night! :) It had a little drift-wood beach house.

Deer swim between the islands. We in fact photographed one deer, in someone's yard in Lopez Village. We also saw some Highland cattle and there was a guy wearing a utili-kilt at the Red Apple where we went for supplies. We did not discover the location of the free showers until the last day. The camp site itself did not have any running water. That was the only downside. Would I do it again? HELL YEAH!

VATROMET 1234

2009-06-12T12:21:00.001-07:00

VATROMET 1234
Originally uploaded by knezevic.srdja

This guy is a really cool painter, check his stuff out on flikr.!

Stuff going on...

2009-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

I guess the Granit Grad zeks are on their way to the Gulag. I think this because neither my son nor his girlfriend are visible online, meaning they are stuffed into a cross-country bus.

So I shall see them and my sister and her boyfriend soon.

Stuff to note, my old home has been turned into a half-way house for troubled teens apparently, the kind of troubled teens you need to call the cops on regularly. I was informed that this one guy broke all the windows one day. I guess that explains the big Geto Fence that is 7 feet tall all around the place.

Well if I'd rented it out it might have wound up being turned into a meth lab, the basement certainly was big enough to just screem 'RUN A HYDROPONIC GROW HERE! NO REALLLY NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!' What with all the new laws where they can confiscate your property if a tenant does that I didn't want to take that chance!

Still the neighbors must miss the sight of me scything down the tall grass from time to time. It sure beats the sight of guys in drooping jeans on the porch.

Very hot in the Yakima Gulag

2009-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

/Soon, your Friendly Editor is going on Holiday with some of her near and dear, first camping trip to involve sleeping in a tent, and cooking one's food on a fire in some time! :) Which is GREAT since Your Friendly Editor is EXHAUSTED!

We're going someplace where there's whales and critters that live in tidal pools and I plan on cooking everyone a bunch of cevapi at some point in the proceedings, since the open flame is just meant for cevapcici! We hope to have a nice time away from the Yakima Gulag, the Granit Grad Gulag and Idajevo!*

*places where my scattered family live :)

Two Girls Danceing

2009-06-09T14:56:00.001-07:00

Two Girls Danceing
Originally uploaded by Yakima_gulag

A couple girls dancing at Edgefest last Saturday

Friends

2009-06-09T14:39:00.001-07:00

Friends
Originally uploaded by Yakima_gulag

I'm sitting at a table at Tropical Heat, drinking my $1 mocha and using the free WiFi, and doing some work with my old Flikr pix. Saw this one and thought it was cool.

Tarantula

2009-06-09T10:12:00.001-07:00

P1000647
Originally uploaded by annsk8r

A friend of mine I knew in Sarajevo took this marvelous picture of a tarantula. I love spiders anyway but this one is special.

Some thoughts on the causes of the financial meltdown in the U.S.

2009-06-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have been in the insurance business in the past, and I can tell you some facets of it that bothers me, it bothers me about sales work in general in the U.S.

1. The rah-rah sales meetings. No emphasis on doing the job correctly, ethically, just on sell more more more.

2. Magical Thinking, the idea that your attitude will create Unlimited Boundless Wealth.

3. Payment by commissions and bonuses only. If you are subjected to the first two factors and then victimized and esploited by the third factor, it is a recipe for disaster for the individual, his or her customers and society at large.

I do know people who have managed on the bonus only payment scheme, but even they would far rather have a steady, reliable salary and modest bonuses.

My own experience of those rah-rah meetings was that I knew I was being lied to, and I didn't like it, and it hurt my productivity EVERY time. I was the sort of person who always got at least SOME sales, what ever job I was in, even bad seasons, even at times when things could be expected to go wrong totally. I wasn't the kind of person who sold fabulous amounts. The kind of person who sells fabulously one day may sell nothing whatsoever for weeks.

They may go away on a coke-fueled bender for half the week, come into the office and drive everyone nuts with their hyper voices and general pushy-ness and sell a ton of stuff that doesn't stay sold and then go on their next bender a few days. That's how it works.

Meanwhile the people who do the job right have to suffer the disdain of their bosses for having less stellar but far more reliable results. I mean what's the point of selling something, anything if it doesn't STAY SOLD?

So a whole society runs it's business that way and then it all crashes. Why am I so unsurprised?